


Late

by SxyMo0finMan



Series: Gypsea [2]
Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Bad News, Broken Promises, Joseph Christiansen - Freeform, M/M, Robert Small - Freeform, dream daddy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 04:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SxyMo0finMan/pseuds/SxyMo0finMan
Summary: ‘We need to talk. Meet me @ the overlook? After dark. 9 PM? ~Joseph’





	Late

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a conversation my coauthor and I were having. I was making him sad with mock confrontations between our Bad Dadz.

Robert’s heart thrummed agonizingly in his chest as he pulled up to the rendezvous spot overlooking the city. For once, he was early in his life and he hated himself for it. Now it was just him and his thoughts as he waited for headlights to show around the bend.

Joseph had sent out an S.O.S. earlier in the day. Robert had felt as if his phone would burn a hole through his hand, mind having immediately kicked into overdrive. Something was up, something was wrong. Robert just knew it, felt it in his tired bones. Joseph’s message had been vague, but Robert couldn’t still the quake he felt, like the world was vibrating apart under his feet.

‘We need to talk. Meet me @ the overlook? After dark. 9 PM? ~Joseph’

His breath stopped in his throat when Joseph rounded the corner, slowing his van to a stop beside him. Robert caught Joseph’s eyes in the glow of his van’s overhead light before it blacked out. Robert didn’t like the tightness around Joseph’s eyes, nor the lack of a smile at his lips.

Oh boy… This was going to be rough.

Robert reluctantly opened his truck door, climbing out from the safety of his truck’s cab. He really didn’t want to face the world outside. Inside his old Ford was safe, was familiar. Home. Like a salve that healed all his wounds, real and imaginary, and kept the walls up and solid around him.

Joseph was waiting for him at the end of his truck bed, arms wrapped around his chest. Robert couldn’t help but feel that Joseph was holding himself together, like something was tearing him apart from the inside. He could see the guilt etched in perfectly sculpted features.

Without saying a word, Robert brushed passed Joseph to lower the tailgate. He hopped up onto the edge, hands clasped in his lap. Joseph silently sat beside him, taking a similar pose, head down, thumbs twiddling in lap.

Silence. There was no sound aside from the crickets in the trees. A boat horn sounded somewhere down in the marina, Robert turning to watch as a yacht pulled into a slip. Why hadn’t Joseph even said hello?

“You said we needed to talk?” Robert spoke after a moment, the lack of sound driving him mad. He watched out of his peripheral vision as Joseph shifted uncomfortably beside him. He turned to watch the other, catching Joseph’s gaze before the other could look away. Robert swallowed thickly, his stomach doing a nervous tumble.

“What is it?” he implored, forgetting that he hadn’t wanted to appear desperate. But Joseph held his heart at its strings, Robert knew. Joseph could destroy him with a single pull, unraveling all his ramshackle walls held in place by nothing but a boyish hope.

“You can tell me, Joe…”

Joseph gave a dry laugh, left hand moving to run through sandy blond strands. Moonlight sparked off of the gold band on his ring finger and Robert cringed at the visceral reminder of the claim that lay on Joseph. Joseph could never be his, he knew. The other had a wife, a family, and here he was to muck it all up. Pathetic.

“Yeah, we need to talk,” Joseph said, pausing to gather his thoughts. Robert couldn’t help feel like the jilted teenage lover. “Are you breaking up with me?!” rang sharply through his ears. He wanted to double over, whether with laughter or pain, Robert wasn’t sure. This was it, wasn’t it? This was the culmination of all his fears.

Joseph roughly combed his hair with his fingers, agitatedly rubbing at the back of his neck as he searched for the right words to say. His jaw worked noticeably as he stared at the marina lights. Robert was afraid to know what had Joseph, who was normally the cool one while he overreacted, so riled up.

“Spit it out,” Robert commanded, the not knowing of what was ahead eating him up.

Joseph sighed, shoulders sagging under an immense weight. His hands fell into his lap and he examined them intently, not wanting to watch Robert fall apart.

“Mary’s….” the pause was agony, Robert’s mind racing through all the extremes. Joseph swallowed hard.

“Mary’s late.”

The words made Robert dumb. He couldn’t comprehend. Didn’t want to comprehend. Joseph caught his gaze, ocean eyes swimming with guilt. The shame that burned beneath the stormy sea made Robert want to hold him, keep him locked away in the high walls of his heart where no one could make him look like that again. Joseph confused him inside and out.

“Late?” Robert asked, the question falling from numb lips. “Bitch is always out la-”

He knew Joseph’s meaning, knew what late meant, but his addled brain was slow on the uptake. It wasn’t until he saw the deadpan look Joseph sent his way before the cogs turned and snapped into place.

“Oh…” the breath left him like he’d been punched in the gut. “Oh!”

“Yeah,” Joseph whispered, landing another blow. “That kind of late.”

Robert stared at his clenched fists, unaware of when he’d curled his fingers so tight that his knuckles were white. He straightened them out and wiped suddenly clammy hands on his jeans. Praying, Robert hoped Joseph couldn’t see him tremble.

Unable to sit still anymore, Robert jumped from his perch. He began to pace, wearing a path into the gravel. Joseph stepped near him, as if they were tethered, like something kept them bound together. Joseph reached out to still him, but Robert shook him loose.

“How long?” Robert asked, whirling to face Joseph. The accusation was clear in his tone, but he was afraid to find out. “Like, what’s the time frame?”

Joseph’s hesitancy was confirmation enough. Robert sneered at the man who could never be his, especially not after this. 

“You’ve slept with her? Recently, right? What happened to all your promises?” Robert spat, his vehemence even shocking to him. When Joseph cringed, Robert almost wanted to take it all back, whisper “I’m sorry” and leave it at that. But he had broken through the dam and couldn’t stop now.

“I should’ve known you were still porkin’ her. Fuck, Joe, I’m so stupid for believing I was good enough for you.”

“She’s my wife,” Joseph said lamely, eyes glued to the tip of a fancy boat shoe. Typical. The golden boy couldn’t even look him in the eye. Somehow, that made Robert hurt even worse. 

“It was the one time since we’ve been... whatever we are. I slipped once.”

“Yeah, well, once is enough.” Robert said tersely. “Couldn’t even wrap it, could ya?”

“I’m sorry,” Joseph began, but was cut off before he could even think to continue.

“That’s fucking typical,” Robert spat. “You’re sorry? I’m sick of this shit, Joe.”

Despite his worst thoughts, Robert was worth more than this. He didn’t deserve to be treated this way, to be the ‘other woman.’ So why did the thought of losing Joseph hurt so much?

“This is it. Decision time. It’s either her or me. You can’t keep having it both ways.”

Joseph looked at him like he was a wounded animal. For someone taller than him, Joseph sure did look small. A pang of guilt thrummed through his chest, catching his anger in his throat.

“Rob, I… She’s…” Joseph hung his head. “I can’t. It’s my child, my family.”

Robert inhaled sharply, rocking back onto his heels as if Joseph had socked him in the jaw. His chest hurt and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath.

“That’s bull shit, and you know it,” Robert said through the knot in his throat, anger sparking in amber eyes. “Were they not your family back then? When we fucked that night, right here in the back of my truck?”

Joseph shrank away from him, stepping back at the tidal wave of rage behind Robert’s words. Robert wished he could swallow his tongue, cut it from his mouth so that it could never hurt Joseph again. But, he’d already gone too far, had already said too much. There was no fixing it now, so Robert might as well make it worse, right?

“You know what? I’m done with this. You can have your perfect fucking family,” Robert said, pulling his jacket tight around him. He felt numb, cold, as he squared his shoulders, barreling passed Joseph for the driver’s side door. “Don’t come crying to me when this shit goes south.”

He met no resistance as he climbed into his Ford and started the engine. Joseph stood there, eyes sad and mouth slack. Why wasn’t he trying to stop him? Why was Joseph letting him get away?

“Call me when you pull your head outta your ass,” Robert shouted out the open window, throwing his truck into gear and pulling out of his spot with a spray of dust and gravel. He hoped a rock hit Joseph.

He rapped a hand on the dashboard, fighting the sting behind his tired eyes. Rounding the bend, Robert refused to watch Joseph disappear in the rearview mirror, leaving behind his heart and his meaning as he left. Jim and Kim’s and a bottle of Jack never sounded any better.

**Author's Note:**

> So, that was my sad. It's what I'm good at. Honestly, I have three other stories in the works that I started weeks ago. But I thought of this and wrote it in a day. Fluff is apparently tough for me ha...
> 
> If you liked this story, please visit my page. (Everything is Destiel and it all hurts.)
> 
> Also, please check out my buddy's story as well. You can get to his by clicking on the series title.
> 
> Ciao!


End file.
